Good News Roundup: The Fight Against COVID-19

Reflecting on the positives is a good way to handle these stressful times

While the world finds new ways to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, there's some relief in the form of positive updates from around the world. Let’s take a look at the progress we’ve achieved in the battle against COVID-19.

Over 2 Lakh People Have Recovered

While looking at the number of confirmed cases, it is important to remember that many have also recovered. As of now, research from John Hopkins University states that more than 2 lakh COVID-19 patients across the world have made a full recovery. As more and more treatments and vaccines are being tested and developed, this number is expected to grow in the coming weeks.

20 Vaccines Under Development

The coronavirus pandemic is a global threat unlike any other in recent decades if not centuries. Medical personnel and governments are working together to tackle the virus. World Health Organisation (WHO) representatives recently announced that they are working with scientists around the world to develop 20 different vaccines against the coronavirus. Normal bureaucratic processes are being fast-tracked to ensure there are no administrative hindrances in developing vaccines and distributing them once proven safe to use.

Air Pollution Levels Are Going Down

We are also seeing an expected side-effect of nationwide lockdowns on the environment. As per recent satellite imaging, air pollution levels have gone down drastically over quarantined areas. This was first noticed in China, then Italy, and now in parts of the USA too. With people staying home and factories suspending operations, for now, the skies have started to clear up thanks to a much-needed break from the fumes of human progress.

Free Entertainment For The Masses

No, your favourite video streaming services are not offering free subscriptions to everyone, but there are other ways to stay entertained while in self-isolation. Thousands of art museums and art galleries have tied up with Google to offer free virtual tours of their collections. This includes the British Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and Musee d’Orsay in Paris. Some streaming services are also offering several children’s shows for free, without membership, while others are offering an extended range of free audiobooks.

“We’re Going To Be Fine”

That’s a statement from Nobel laureate Michael Levitt who has been analysing COVID-19 cases worldwide since January 2020. Levitt had correctly calculated that China would start its recovery from the outbreak a lot sooner than what other health experts had predicted. The Stanford biophysicist foresees a similar trend in other countries where social distancing measures are in place. According to Levit, as long as we control the panic, practice social distancing measures, and continue to test for new cases, in the grand scheme, ‘we’re going to be fine.’